Coupling for wires and cables



Sept. 30,1930. D. H. osBoRNE 1,776,795?.

l coUPLING Fon WIRES muc/mms Filed lay '23, 1927 v Patented Sept. 30, 1930 UNITED *A v ,s'rArE-s DAvInHENEY osBoRNE, or .IEPPEnsoNvILLE PENNSYLVANIA, ssIoNon, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To ELECTRIC SERVICE SUPPLIES COMPANY, oF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA v COUPLING FOR` WIRES AND CABLES Application filed May 23, 192'2;A Serial No.` 193,488.

This invention relates to insulator caps and with regard to certain more specific features,

to insulator caps having demountable sup` porting means. Y e v `A1nong the several objects of the invention mayV be `noted the provision of an insulator cap requiring the minimum ofrelative move-V ment between the cap and the wire supported, in orderto effect acoupling with the supporting pin for the cap; the provision of an insulator cap adapted not to crush the locking key thereof, during ordinary service and which, on the other hand, will not readily uncouple from its pin, although said key `be omitted inadvertently; the provisionV of a device of the class described which will not tend to `crush said key; andthe provision of a device of the class described which is stronger and more rugged thanV previously constructed devices of its general class but which costs no more to manufacture. Other objects willbe in part obvious and in'part pointed out hereinafter. y 1

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combination `of elements, fea-` tures of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exempliliedinthe structurehereinafter described, and the scope of the application of whichwill be indicated in the following claim.

In thel accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Y Fig'. 1 is aplan view of the cap, showing the supporting pin thereof partlybroken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Figl, showing parts in section;'and Y Fig. 3 is a fragmentary` vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Fig.

l Corresponding reference charactersindicate corresponding parts throughout the sev-V eral views of thedrawings.` v

The class of cap herein described is of the side-opening type. VVarious, means have been devised for securing to these caps suitable connecting means, adapted toV suspend the cap and its insulator from a support, but the means that have hereinbefore been devised are open to the objection that ythe portion of the cap engaging the connectingmeans readily `gives away under load. Another objection to the former constructions is that the con-1 necting.l means (a` pin) `tends to disengage from the cap when a certain key is omittedi and when the supported cable or wire sudden-v ly springs orvibrates, as when'suddenly relieved of a load of ice, that isthe pin andthe cap spring or creep apart.i

One of the obvious ways of problem of spontaneous` disengagement is to increase the relative movement required` toY separate the pin and the cap. However, this solution is opentothe objection that an excessive amount of wire slack must `be taken up for installation purposes. The present in ven4 tion prevents the spontaneous "disengagement but does not objectionally increase the relative movement required for mounting; Furthermore the cap is increased in mechanical strength. i. l 1

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, therevis illustrated at numeral l a metallic bell-shaped insulator cap or body portion composed preferably of malleable iron. This cap l is adapted to receive within the hollow bell-shape thereof an insulating 4member. or the like (not shown), in mostcases composed of porcelain. The insulating member is suit1 ably cemented within the-bell-shaped cap Hl, the sloping 1 lip 3 of the memberl serving to key the cementin place after it hasdried.

The cement is usually a Portland cement. A supporting pin 5 is coupledto eachl cap 1 and the manner of coupling comprises `the present; invention per se. The pin 5Y` may tion `of onedofthe described,porcelain.insulating members, that is, the lower end `of each assembled insulator (comprising a cap l and cemented'porcelain) lmay haveanonswiveling pin 5 protruding vdownwardly therefrom.` A series of insulators may besolving 'thesaid "i litself. be cemented Awithin the hollowpor- Y shelves 19 are slightly lower. 'in elevation" than the ring-shaped portion 1 5', although this is not necessary.

Beneath the overhanging shelvesf19 of the walls 11 are Aformed lugs 21. These lugs ei;- tend forwardly to the free or open ends of said shelves 19 and walls 11 and are preferably slanted upwardly from said open ends,

back toward opening 17 (see Fig.

An opening 23 is provided lat the curved portion 13 ior` the purpose of introducing a spring cotterkey 25, as illustrated in the drawings. The purpose of this will vappear hereinafter. y y The supporting pin 5 is provided with -a properly shaped upper end '26 for supporting it. The lower end comprises a Ymushroom-shaped head 27,'above which is located a reduced neck or shank 29, adapted to' be movably accommodated in ythe slot 31 between said shelves 19 and to pass into said opening1'17. The head has a diameter less than the distancefbetween the walls 11 but greater than the width of the slot '31 and the opening 17. The underside of the ringshaped lllange 15 is 'counter-sunk to accom- Inoldatevv an upward movementand a socketing of said head 27 (see Figs. l2 and 3).

'The purpose of the lugs -21is to cause a positive downward movement of the head 27 l each time vthat the pin 5 is applied to or removed from the cap. The distance between the lowerrnost outer ends of the lugs 21 and the wall 7 is such that the head 27 may pass in and out,if its movement is not interfered with, such as by means'of the yintroduction of said cotter key to said opening 23. NVhen the cotter key 25 isin place, 'it forms yan obstruction to theinsertion or removal oi the head 27, because it vpreventsa substantial de'- pression ofthe head V27. If the Cotter Vkey is not in place it vis not diiicultto depress the vhead V27 by manual means, thereby making it readily removable.vk

However, spontaneous separation, under the conditions above' described, does not readily take place, first, because Yof the length of 'the shelves 19 with their lugs .21, andfsecond, because of 'the sloping characteristics of ysaid lugs 21. these features in combination, result in no vibratory movement ofthe cap 1 being lcapable of eje'cting the head 27 from its recess,-even though the key .25 be omitted. Be-

'3 fore :more thanone or, atmost, affew vibra.-

In other words, Y

tory movements can take place the gravitational eii'ect of the load results in a re-socketing of the head 27 in the counter-sunk recess beneath the opening 17.

It is evident that the extensions 11 and shelves 19 materially increase the strength vof this cap at the support, that is, tlie strength is greater than that of those side-openingof the lugs 21 and slipped beneath said vlugs.

21 into engagement with the counter-sunk socket of the raised ring-shaped portion 15.

It will lbe noted that the'lugs 21 terminate' at distances from the flange 15, such that the head27 is snugly accommodated'in its upper Position. i

Next, the Cotter key or pin 25 is passed through 1thel opening 23, whereby it is caused to extend Abeneath'the head 27 to prevent removal of said head; l

Should the Cotter key inadvertently become displaced, the head27 will normally be retained in engagement with the flange 15' by the load.V Should Vthe supporting wire or cablespring, due to the release of an abnormal -load of ice or! the like, and cause a jump of the head 27 down beneath the lugs 21,'said head will tend to slide back to normal position, because of the slant of the lugs 21.

`This cap, being of the side entrancel type requires little relative movement vfor assembly, asis evident from the drawings.

It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the pro-v portions are such asto leave spacebetween the Ihead v27 andthe key 25 when the cap is suspended from said head.V This means that when Arelative swiveling actions take place between the capy 1 and the pin f5, 'during service, then the head 27 `will not tend to crush and cut the key 25. This action in former caps vhas resulted inl the loss of the key 25./ Then, if "the wire had on i'ce load that suddenly dropped oli, causing travely of the wire of anA inch or-two or more, and some angle swing of the cap or slight' travel of the caplwith respect to the pin, then the pin would-let the capdrop. This action is obviated by means ofthe present invention, whether the key 25 is in orout of position.

In view ofthe above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention arey achieved and other advantageous results 'attained.`

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope ofthe invention,'it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as'illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

.I claim:

An insulator cap comprising a body portion, and a pocket portion adapted tovreceive a pin having a shank portion and an enlarged head portion, said pocket portion having a socket therein acting as a seat for the head portion of the pin and an aperture through Which the shank portion of the pin extends when' the head is. seated in the socket, and being provided with a side opening through which the pin is movable into the socket said opening consisting of a lower enlarged passageway for the passage of the head portion of the pin and an upper restricted passageway for the passage of the shank portion of the pin but too small Vfor the passage of the head portion, the walls ofsaid restricted passageway extending below the level of the l,

socket whereby the head in movement to-` wards or from the socket must be depressed below thesocket level, the upper walls of the enlarged'passageway being inclined upwardly towards the socket whereby a vertical force on a pin having its head in said enlarged passageway tends to move the head inwardly into the socket. j y

In testimony whereoil Vhave signed my name to this specification this 16th day of May, 1927.

DAVID HENRY OSBORNE. 

